<i>Hydrolysis of lignocelluloses</i> by penicillium funiculosum <i>cellulase</i>

Abstract

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is a promising method for the conversion of waste cellulose to glucose. During the past few years, the development of this technology has proceeded rapidly, with significant advances made in enzyme production, pretreatment, and hydroly~is.'-~ A variety of fungi are reported to produce cellulasesS but among these Trichoderma reesei and its mutants are powerful producers of cellulases.6 However, the search for new and possibly better sources of cellulase is continued due to the low levels of 6-glucosidase of T. reesei.6 Penicillium funicu- losum produces a complete cellulase having endo-/3-1,4glucanase (15-20 U/mL), exo-/3-1,4-glucanase (1.5-2.0 U/mL), and high /3-glucosidase (8-10 U/mL).'s8 The saccharification of alkali-treated cotton and bagasse by P. funiculosum enzyme was 70 and 63%, respectively. It was possible to obtain glucose concentration as high as 30% using 50% b a g a ~s e . ~ It is of interest that the percent saccharification of cellulosic substrates with the Penicillium enzyme is comparable to that of T. reesei (QM 9414) cellulase when the same amount of filter paper activity is used, although the endo-glucanase activity of the latter is two to three times higher.1